MOTORCYCLE – Yamaha MT-01 Wins Design Award

October 19, 2004

The Motorcycle Design Association (MDA), based in Villefranche de Lonchat, France, held its annual Motorcycle Design Awards at INTERMOT.
The jury, made of more than 100 members of the MDA — nearly all motorcycle designers still active in their profession — voted on five categories, plus one outstanding model for the annual Motorcycle Design Trophy. MDA President Glynn Kerr chaired the event.
RESULTS
Supersport Category: 1) Bimota DB5, 2 ) Kawasaki ZX-6, 3) BMW K1200S
Open Category (200cc and above): 1) KTM RC8 / Venom, 2) Yamaha MT-01, 3) Benelli TNT and Derbi Mulhacén (tie)
Junior Category (up to 200cc): 1) Rieju RS2 Matrix, 2) Yamaha XT125, 3) Derbi SM
Scooter & Commuter Category: 1) Derbi GP1, 2) Aprilia Sport City, 3) Honda Zoomer and Generic XDR (tie)
Concept Bike Category: 1) Honda Griffon, 2) Confederate Wraith, 3) Yamaha Tricker Pro
The Yamaha MT-01 was the winner of the 2004 Motorcycle Design Trophy. Presented to Atsushi Ishiyama, president of design house GK Dynamics, it was the second Motorcycle Design Trophy in two years for Yamaha — Yamaha YZF 1000 R1 designer Kazumasa Sasanami of GK Design Europe received the 2003 Motorcycle Design Trophy.
Ishiyama, who joined GK Design Group in 1964, also was bestowed Honorary Membership of the MDA for his four decades of work during which he created a number of successful Yamaha models and prototype proposals.
Past recipients of the Honorary Membership Award include Mitsuyoshi Kohama, head of Honda’s design center in Japan, 2003; Harley-Davidson icon Willie G. Davidson, 2002; and Massimo Tamburini, joint-founder of Bimota and designer of the Ducati 916 and MV Agusta F4, 2001.
Also taking place at INTERMOT was the second INTERMOT-IVM Design Competition, an event where futuristic vehicle and clothing designs from novice designers and design students were displayed. Operating under the title "Young bikes, young scooters and their modern surroundings," the event was led by designer Oliver Neuland.
Those under 26 years of age were free to enter the "Open" category, while young people specializing in transport design, industrial/product design, fashion design, or vehicle technology/traffic technology were invited to take part in the ‘Students’ category.
Winners included a first place tie between Jerome Vannesson for his Lotus bike concept and Franziska Paulik for her Every Wear and Double Blend apparel. Second place went to Lee Tze Ming for his Alpha Rad; and third place went to Torsten Gallitzdorfer, Alexander Schlesier, and Peter Zeiner for their Cocoon concept bike.